As I move inexorably toward the point of no return, I have found myself thinking a lot about the good old days. The point of no return? Well, that's the age of 30 folks. As of the fifth of October, I'm not just 29 now, but 29 1/2.

When I start watching an old film like Disney's take on Robin Hood, it surprises the heck out of me what an influence they have had, even if I haven't seen them in 10-15 years. Certain things I have said on a regular basis throughout my life turn out to come from these silly little cartoons. Like "That, I believe, does it." I mean sure, if someone were to ask me where that line came from, I could have told them in a second. It's just that sometimes you get so used to saying something, its origin fades into the background of your memory.

20 years ago, we used to have this and The Sword In The Stone on a tape together. I must have watched that tape 100, heck maybe 200 times. So I guess I shouldn't be so surprised that I still have the whole thing practically memorized. How weird is it that you can have a film memorized, and yet still there are those little things you forgot about? Like the Rooster walking on an invisible conveyor belt, or that awesome music they play in the parade at the beginning.

Coming right out of 1973, Robin Hood is surely not the most visually stunning piece of work out there, but what it lacks in eye candy, it more than makes up for in personality.

There is no shortage when it comes to Robin Hood versions out there, but the "hook" of this one is that the characters are all animals. Of course, what would you expect in a Disney film? You may recognize several of them as archetypes of other animal characters; Little John being a reincarnation of Baloo, for one.

The story is no big secret -- Robin Hood steals from the rich and gives it to the poor. But this doesn't sit well with the benevolent King Richard's greedy brother Prince John, who just so happens to be taking over the throne while the King is on a crusade.

"Double the taxes, TRIPLE the taxes, SQUEEEEEZE every last drop! Out of those insolent, eh, musical peasants!"

In an effort to bring Robin Hood out of hiding, Prince John, fully aware of Robin's obscene archery skill, holds a tournament. The rest is for you to see, although you probably already know where it's going anyway.

Our story is narrated by a banjo-plucking Rooster with a kinda Southern accent. Actually, it seems that well over half the characters have at least the hint of a drawl.

One thing that surprises me quite a bit about this Robin Hood is how well it holds up in the action department. This stuff is VIOLENT! The battle that follows after the archery tournament is full of poking, prodding, shoving sticks into stomachs, trampling, tackling, and proposing. Not to mention it's funny! And yet as with every good kid's film, the arrows hit everything but the good guys.

The comic timing here is off the scale. Whether it's something simple like a banjo string breaking, or Prince John's eternal torment of his assistant Sir Hiss, there's always something. My favorite has got to be Lady Kluck. She and the lovely (quite so for a cartoon character) Maid Marian share a great ladies' rapport, but Lady Kluck has a way with the kids as well; her imitation of Prince John is great! And her crazy bashing-of-rhino-heads-into-the-ground move that she uses in battle is so ridiculously effective, that itself warrants a good chuckle or two. Prince John's sleeping scene toward the end is equally hysterical.

There really is not a single character in this film that I don't like. The family of rabbits are so cute, but not to the point of being sickening. Robin himself holds his own nicely as the "protagonist", where oftentimes the expectation that comes from being the main character can undermine him. The dogs that play in the archery tournament all seem to have personalities of their own, even if they don't speak a word. (I love the one that blows his hair out of his eyes just long enough to take a shot!) The little mice are just adorable, and well-dressed for mice. Something about the alligator playing as Prince John's head guard, too. Must be the voice. Besides, where else would you ever see an alligator that can fight with a sword!?

I don't know about your local video stores, but our Family Video allows us to rent kids' movies for free, so I'll be delving into The Sword In The Stone and maybe a few Charlie Brown flicks in the next few weeks. Whether or not I come here to talk about 'em, who knows. But I suppose it's never too late to be a kid again, 'eh!

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS